Food Friday: Egg Things

Today I have a new recipe for you!  As you know my sister can't have very many of the common and easy breakfasty things.  My mom has been making these for her for about a year now.  Staci liked them until she got tired of them and then thanks to make she has a second option for breakfast (Oatmeal Muffins).

What I have today is Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups.  Which we call Egg Things (so much easier). 

The ingredients (this is the exact recipe as my Mom gave it to me.  I didn't follow it exactly and you don't have to either!!)

*4 ounces turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon (I used Publix Hot Italian Sausage.  I used about 2 links for 12 egg things)

*1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used red)

*1/4 onion chopped

*5 large eggs (Since we used the larger muffin tins we ended up using 10 - 11 large eggs)

*1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained (I did not use mushrooms)

*1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese (I didn't use cheese either)


So now how I did mine!

Cook the sausage (My mom and I boiled ours) as you want and then cut it small enough to fit into the muffin pans. Since I bought the Publix Hot Italian Sausage there were 4 to 5 links in the package.  I cooked all of them.  However, I only put 2 or so into the 12 egg things.  I finished cutting up the left over sausages and packaged them for next time I make egg things.

It will be really nice the next time I make egg things because the meat is already cooked and prepped!

Next I cut up some tomato.  Now, I love tomato to I put probably a 1/2 of a really good sized tomato in there.  I also enjoy onions and cut up less than the tomato.  I did not pre-cook the onions because I wanted to see if they would end up staying a little crunchy after being cooked.

My mom had some broccoli that I added.  She was very sweet and pre-cooked it so that it wouldn't be to hard and chopped it up small.

So the ingredients that I added that I forgot to take pictures for!!  I also chopped up a4 bout cloves of garlic, fresh basil, red pepper, and possibly one more thing that I am forgetting...

Now would be a good idea to preheat the oven to 350. Generously coat a large non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.  We just used the spray and it worked out great.  I think the muffin cups would end up getting stuck to the egg things.

Begin placing your ingredients into the muffin cups.

I started with the sausage and stuffed them down to try to form a solid bottom.

Next I added in my onions.  As I mentioned I didn't take pictures of somethings... well that was because I had mine completely made before I realized I was an idiot and was not taking pictures.  So this is Staci's.  She doesn't like onions very much but I put in much more in mine.

The next layer was the tomatoes.  Again I put in much more than this.

Broccoli was next.  I think we had some left over squash from dinner that we put in there for her too.

This is actually a picture of my cups.  I literally filled them to the brim!

In mine I added the red peppers, chopped fresh garlic and basil.  You could have as many layers as you wanted.  Just keep in mind the more area that is filled with veggies and what not the less amount of egg is needed.

Mix 10 to 12 large eggs in a bowl.  We didn't add any extra seasonings or milk, but now would be the perfect time.  I think the next time I make them I might add a touch of hot sauce to the egg mix.  Give everything a little kick.

Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Be careful to avoid filling them to the very top.  I made that mistake and as the egg expanded as it cooked, some of them spilled over.  If you choose too now is the time to sprinkle the cheese on top.

Place the try in the oven and bake 20  - 30 minutes or until egg is set.  (I have a picture of them chilling in the oven but for some reason it will not load correctly).

We have learned that if the egg things are left in the tray to cool the tray is extremely hard to clean.  So we took them out right away and the muffin tray was very easy to clean.  We placed them on a cooling rack.

Aren't they just so cute!!!  They smelt and looked delicious too!!  We let them cool completely before packing them up for the freezer.

We just used tin foil and placed the egg thing inside and wrapped them up.  Then they were put into a gallon freezer bag.


I have had two so far and they both have been great!  I took them out of the freezer in the morning and left them out to thaw for a while.  I put them in the microwave for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Be sure to watch them so they don't burn.


You could also use them within an english muffin to make an egg sandwich kind of thing too.


A highly filling, easy to make, totally customizable, breakfast!!

Food Friday - Oatmeal Muffins

Oh, did I forgot to mention THEY ARE GLUTEN-FREE!  The perfect breakfast!  I had been trying to decide what types of foods I could do for breakfast.  I have access to a microwave and fridge at work so I could make just about anything.  I however, prefer something easy.

I found the recipe via Pinterest (she has MUCH cuter pictures than mine, I'm jealous).  The picture of the chocolate chips on the oatmeal got me.  I HAD to make them.  So on Sunday I made them.  I was up too late doing it but I think it was worth it.

So down to business:

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
• 5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats (I used Quaker because that is what I had on hand, but I think next time I will try with Bob's Red Mill G/F Oats)
• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 3/4 cups milk (she used 1% and I used Silk Almond Milk)
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 6 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia or 1 1/2 teaspoons stevia powder (I used Trivia)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips

Nutrition Info (without toppings)

Servings: 18* Calories: 143* Fat: 4g* Fiber: 4g* Carbs: 23g* Protein: 6g*
Using the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder Points+: 3*
Source for recipe.

Now the ingredients in PICTURES!!!

 

All the participants!!

 On to the recipe directions.

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and Stevia together in a bowl.
3. Add in oats, salt, baking powder, flax and cinnamon and mix well with wet ingredients.
4. Finally pour in milk and combine.
5. Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
   Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
6. If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
7. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Source for recipe. 

Wet things first.

The items to mix first.

 I placed the first set of ingredients into the mixing bowl.  I made sure to put the banana in there first so that I could make sure to mush it really well.

Thank you to my Memere's potato masher

Next I measured my oats.  Now I knew I had used this container of Quaker Oats before, but I thought that for sure I would have enough oats...

...Obviously I was wrong.  I then ran around the apartment trying to figure out if I had ANYTHING that could sub in for 1 cup of oats.  Yea, I had nothing (besides cake/brownie like mixes) and it was too late to go back out to the store.  Oh did I mention I started this whole process at 9pm.  And we normally go to bed around 10pm.

So I was just going to have to make it work.  I followed the directions and added in the remaining dry ingredients and mixed well.

Since I was short 1 cup of oats I could have lessened the amount of milk (or in my case Silk Almond Milk) but no I completely forgot until my bowl looked like this:

Oh well, I mixed and mixed (the whole time worrying that there was too much liquid and my muffins were going to come out watery).  Well I didn't have to worry at all.  It finally felt like the oats and other dry ingredients soaked most of it up.

I then added in my fruit.  I had a coupon for buy one get some amount of money off of the second one for these Dole frozen fresh fruits.  I was tempted to pick the pineapple but didn't think that would mesh well with oatmeal.

 I cut up the strawberries smaller and dumped one cup of the blueberries in.  And mixed some more.

I then put muffin cups in the trays.  And got them into the oven to become edible yummies.

 FYI - Blogger is not allowing me to place the pictures side by side without making one of them small.  AND IT IS MAKING ME ANGRY!!

Okay with that out of the way.  I realized that I had a TON of battery stuff left.  There was no way that I was going to stay up until 11:30 cooking these things.  So my solution?

Make mini ones!  I had little muffin cups (which makes the clean up so much faster).

 And shoved those in the oven too!

I used quite a few toothpicks to make sure the centers were solid.

Once they pulled through clean I took them out to cool.

Those big black blobs?  Blueberries!!

 Early on in trying to get the muffins out I realized they were super hot.  I used a spoon to scoop under them and turn them sideways to extract them easier. :)

All of them together!  I left them out overnight to cool, but I covered them with a cake tray thing.  Don't want buggies knowing there if food about!

Distraction!  These are home grown carrots from the bf's parents garden.  They are HUGE!!  I gifted some to my coworkers this week.  I might even have more next week too!

Just like Brenda suggests I decided to freeze them.  I, myself, can not eat all of these before they start going stale.  I certainly do not want to waste any of them.

Is it weird I like sucking the air out of these kinds of things?

Minis!

My total made count?

17 normal sized
15 mini sized (one not pictured because I just had to eat one)

Will I make them again?!

HECK YES!  In trying to stay away from sugar I probably won't be doing the chocolate chip ones, but I could put peanut butter (or almond butter) and other such things in them.

If you like oatmeal but hate cleaning the messy bowl afterwards?  This is perfect for you.

Have a great Friday night!!